Why doesn't God heal amputees?

[Thinkingstuff]

In being sarcastic you are saying things like Jesus put his ear back on with crazy glue and that it's all mythology and all of that. I do sarcasm, but some of that stuff is just a little too far, especially without debunking or saying something about how stupid it is.

Sarcasm by nature indicates that the statements themselves are idiotic. I didn't mean to "blaspheme God" but express the ridiculousness of the statements commonly used by the atheist crowd. So my apologies if you thought otherwise.

 

[Thinkingstuff]

Another question on this video concerns the starving children of the world. Jesus said that we should have faith in Him as Lord and Savior and by this we would have everlasting life with Him. The poverty and starvation in this world is not for God to fix. Jesus said for us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. I think if we fail to do so we are going to be asked at the judgement why we lacked love and concern for these people.

Ie. Caporal works of Mercy and Caporal works of Charity?

 

[Eric B]

Jesus healed the ten lepers. It doesn't say how advanced their leprosy was. But it can be as advanced as to be missing appendages such as a hand, nose, foot, etc. Often he healed the lepers.
He also healed the lame. How and why were they lame? Did they have a missing leg? Perhaps. There were hundreds of lame that he healed. Surely there were some that had a missing appendage out of those hundreds. These would be your amputees.

The question I believe is why He doesn't heal amputees today; or why we can't see the types of miracles recorded long ago (which of course can't be proven as they are removed from us in time).

Just so everyone knows; the promoter of the "Why Won't God Heal Amputees" site is Marshall Brain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Brain who also does the "howstuffworks.com" site.

His motivation is the promotion of the science called "transhumanism", which involves discovering how to regrow missing limbs using stem cells. So now; the underlying issue should start to take shape to you. Theism is seen as standing in the way of this science; with its opposition to cloning and stem cell research. That is what they see as the future hope for mankind; including a prospect of physical immortality.

 

[DHK]

The question I believe is why He doesn't heal amputees today; or why we can't see the types of miracles recorded long ago (which of course can't be proven as they are removed from us in time).

I realize that. I answered in response to a few other posts as to what Jesus did. Jesus healed all that came to him, regardless of what their infirmity was. And though it be speculation we can probably assume that many of those that were "lame" had some missing limbs.

If Christianity was simply a panacea or cure-all for those who are seriously sick and for those with missing limbs and such, then people would be coming to Christ for the wrong reason. It is not God's will to heal everyone. Not even Paul healed everyone, though he did have the gift of healing. "Trophimus have I left sick at Miletus," he said. It wasn't God's will for Trophimus to be healed.

The purpose of Christianity is to glorify Christ and follow Him no matter what state the believer finds himself him. "We wait for the redemption of our bodies," Paul said. The early believers suffered intense persecution under the reign of Nero. Peter writes his first epistle to those that are suffering. "Though your faith be tried as fire," he says. The persecution they faced was worse then the suffering that an amputee in our society faces.

 

[billwald]

There is no statistical evidence that God heals anyone. Miracles are statistically improbable events. Sick person asks for prayer. Next Sunday he returns and says he was healed. Sick person asks for prayer. He dies and never returns to complain/report back.

 

[RAdam]

There is no statistical evidence that God heals anyone. Miracles are statistically improbable events. Sick person asks for prayer. Next Sunday he returns and says he was healed. Sick person asks for prayer. He dies and never returns to complain/report back.

Good grief.

 

[billwald]

Another interpretation would be that God refuses to heal as many praying people as he heals thus his activity can't be detected.

 

[BobRyan]

At the Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne, Australia a video was introduced that is a challenge to Christians. It includes ten questions, the first of which is 'Why doesn't God heal amputees?'

God is all-powerful. Therefore, God can do anything, and regenerating a leg is trivial.

In the days of Christ - God raised the dead and healed lepers. The Lepers were suffering from withered and destroyed limbs - made perfectly "new" by the touch of Christ.

God is perfect, and he created the Bible, which is his perfect book. In the Bible, Jesus makes very specific statements about the power of prayer. Since Jesus is God, and God and the Bible are perfect, those statements should be true and accurate.

God is all-knowing and all-loving. He certainly knows about the plight of the amputee, and he loves this amputee very much.

God is ready and willing to answer your prayers no matter how big or small. All that you have to do is believe. He says it in multiple places in the Bible.

It is not entirely true. In Matt 17 and 18 we see a case of disciples "given the ministry of casting out demons" (in Matt 10) that could not solve the problem for a child at the foot of the mount of transfiguration. When they asked Christ why they could not cast out that demon (after all - God does not "want anyone to be demon possessed" as the argument goes) Christ answered "this kind comes not out but by prayer and fasting".

In the book of Acts we have the case of Dorcas - the local church prayed for her - and she did not get well - then after she died Peter comes to "help" and raises her from the dead.

We see the same thing in John 11, the prayers of Mary and Martha and of Lazarus do not "get the result" until Christ shows up - and then even though by all accounts it is "too late" because Lazarus has died - Lazarus is raised from the dead.


in Christ,

Bob

 

[rbell]

There is no statistical evidence that God heals anyone. Miracles are statistically improbable events. Sick person asks for prayer. Next Sunday he returns and says he was healed. Sick person asks for prayer. He dies and never returns to complain/report back.

Wow.

I'd be pretty miserable if I spent my energy looking for reasons to discredit God at work. Do what you wish...but if it were me, I'd find another hobby.

 

[rbell]

OK, this one will get me in trouble...but here goes: A true story...

I have a dear friend who years ago, lost an arm up to mid-bicep due to a motorcycle accident.

I asked him the OP question--"Why doesn't God 'heal' amputees?

His response...... "I don't know. That one's got me stumped."

Then he started laughing hysterically.

Gotta love a sense of humor, eh?

 

[Revmitchell]

OK, this one will get me in trouble...but here goes: A true story...

I have a dear friend who years ago, lost an arm up to mid-bicep due to a motorcycle accident.

I asked him the OP question--"Why doesn't God 'heal' amputees?

His response...... "I don't know. That one's got me stumped."

Then he started laughing hysterically.

Gotta love a sense of humor, eh?

Funny.............

 

[billwald]

Jesus preached that healings and miracles were rare and only for theological/teaching reasons, not because of pity on the subject. If Jesus was concerned with universal suffering, he could have universally poofed every sick person healed.

 

[DHK]

Jesus preached that healings and miracles were rare and only for theological/teaching reasons, not because of pity on the subject. If Jesus was concerned with universal suffering, he could have universally poofed every sick person healed.

If Jesus was NOT concerned he could "poof" every Biwald into a pillar of salt with no trouble at all.
We relish in the mercy of God each day.

 

[lori4dogs]

I do believe God heals out of compassion, however, I think it is with a bigger plan. I do agree with billwald that God is not out to empty all the hospitals.

An atheist says that no one ever hears of God healing amputees. I have read that St. Anthony's ministry had occurances of amputees being healed. However, an atheist will probably dismiss this as being too old and of course has to be a legend.

 

[BobRyan]

I realize that. I answered in response to a few other posts as to what Jesus did. Jesus healed all that came to him, regardless of what their infirmity was. And though it be speculation we can probably assume that many of those that were "lame" had some missing limbs.

.

Certainly the limbs of the lepers would have been deformed - and some were said to have suffered with that disease for many years.

The Gospels state clearly that "Christ had compassion" on those who were sick.

1. Matthew 20:34
   Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
   
2. Mark 1:41
   Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."
3. Matthew 14:14
   When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick
4. Luke 7:13
   When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." 14And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" 15The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.

In Matt 10 Christ comissions the 12 disciples with the same ministry of healing.

In Luke 10 Christ comissions the 70 with the same ministry of healing.

In Acts 5 Peter has the gift to such a degree that "even his shadow" passing over someone would heal them.

In Acts 19 Paul has the gift to such a degree that a handkerchief passed from him to others resulted in their healing and if they had demons that possessed them - those demons were forced to flee.

The atheist argument is that confronted with such overwhelming evidence all mankind would instantly "believe".

but in the case of Lazarus - raised from the dead, the truly dedicated wicked person simply chose to find an excuse to kill Lazarus and thus avoid the embarassing situation of one who was well known to have died - being raised from the dead by the very Christ whom the wicked rejected.


in Christ,

Bob

 

[billwald]

Jesus only knew about sick people he "saw?"

 

[DHK]

Jesus only knew about sick people he "saw?"

There was a purpose to the miracles that Jesus did. The quantity, quality, and characteristics of his miracles clearly demonstrated his deity. No man could do the things that he did, as Nicodemus testified.

There were only certain periods in history where miracles (in abundance) were performed.
First, they were performed during the time of Moses.
Second, they were performed during the time of the prophets (especially Elijah and Elisha).
Third, they were performed during the time of Christ, and then of the Apostles.

What do all of these have in common? These were times of revelation. To Moses was the Law given: "The Books of Moses."
Elijah and Elisha were representative of all the prophets--a good portion of the Old Testament.
The Apostles wrote the NT.

Miracles testified of the validity of the revelation that was given to them.

2 Corinthians 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.

 

[Born_in_Crewe]

As a former atheist, I can answer my own question . The point is that most atheists don't just not believe in God, they hate Christianity (and it normally is exclusively Christianity that they hate, not other religions). For some reason atheists love to mock and scorn Christianity and get great pleasure out of it.

Very true statement that. It's less than five years ago that Islamic extremists blew up 53 people on buses and trains in London and yet militant atheists in the UK still seem to devote more time to hating and mocking Chrstians, even liberal Christians, than they do Islam or Muslims.

I think part of it is the idea that nobody can become good in God's sight without belief in Jesus. They are often humanist-minded and therefore find this offensive. I can see why, but if they thought about it more deeply, the fact that nobody is perfect is pretty obvious whether you believe in a deity or not.